Edgar DEGAS Two Dancers on Stage 22" x 16" framed picture print

Great price. Worth $$$$$? Reproductions of this sell for $900+ on average. Beautiful Edgar DEGAS 22' x 16" oil painting with nice gold frame and glass. Authentic. "Dancers on stage" Vintage. Very good condition. A classic. We see the stage here not straight on, but from above and to the side, as though we are sitting in a box. This angle immediately involves us in the image, suggesting Degas’ depiction to be real rather than carefully set up. Is this a performance or a rehearsal? Degas purchased permits that allowed him to observe rehearsals and backstage activity at the Opéra de Paris, and many of his paintings and sculptures concentrate on dancers off the stage, stretching or chatting. Whilst the dancers in this painting are in full costume and mid-dance, a third figure, who does not seem to be part of the main action, is partially visible on the stage, at the far left of the canvas. Degas’ composition teeters between being casual and carefully constructed, as do the dancers themselves: in spite of their exquisite costumes, these are probably young working-class dancers from the corps de ballet as opposed to principals. Degas gives them snub noses and slightly simian features to suggest, according to contemporary ideas of physiognomy that greatly interested him, a lower social class. Context For many years it was assumed that Degas’ depiction of two dancers on the stage did not represent any specific performance and was meant as a general representation of ballet. However recent research has shown that the costumes of the dancers, especially the one on the right, match the bell-shaped tutus and hairpieces with roses of the dancers in the Ballet des roses, a ballet section added to Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni (1787) for performances at the Paris Opera House from 1866 onwards. The scenery in the background suggests foliage, which would have been appropriate to the garden setting of the Ballet des roses. The new expanded version of Don Giovanni was performed more than fifty times at the Paris Opéra between 1872 and 1874, so Degas’ subject is very much engaged with contemporary life. The painting was shown at the dealer Durand-Ruel’s London gallery in 1874, where it was purchased by Captain Henry Hill of Brighton. About the artist Edgar Degas (1834-1917) was born into a wealthy family and his father had hoped that he would become a lawyer. However, Degas was more interested in art, which he pursued from an early age, converting a room in the family home into a studio. In 1853, he registered as a copyist at the Louvre, following in the footsteps of major academic artists and learning from ancient sculpture and the great Renaissance masters. In 1855, Degas met Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, whose classical painting style he admired, and later that year he enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts. Degas seemed set for a conventional career as a classicising academic artist. However by the 1870s he had departed from epic subject matter in favour of scenes representing contemporary life in Paris. He especially favoured washerwomen and dancers. He never completely rejected academic techniques, however, and the result is a painter who is known as an Impressionist but who continued to work in his studio and never in the outdoors. Our price $800 no tax. OPEN for personal shopping at 9468 Longwoods Road Chatham N7M 5J1 (inside the Act 1 building) next to the Shady Pine Restaurant. Something for everyone! Hundreds of items including: Clothing, Footwear, Office and school supplies, Electronics, Health and Beauty items, Cell phone accessories, Entertainment items such as books, C.D's, music, headphones, lighting, hardware, tools, pet accessories, computer, tablet, ipad items, electrical devices, TV audio, visual, housewares, decor, home and garden, glassware, bar accessories, sporting goods, fishing, camping, hunting, outdoors, automotive items, plumbing, toys and games, and hundreds of misc. items. New items arriving weekly. Store is open to the public. Winter/Spring/Summer STORE HOURS (Jan.2nd to Aug. 31st.): OPEN TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS 11-6, SATURDAYS 10-2. Other days by appointment only Call or text (519) 401-7688 if you need to schedule an appointment. Something for everyone at discount clearance prices. Save up to 80% off regular prices every day. Mostly new merchandise, and some previously enjoyed items. Pay by cash, credit card, debit card, or e-transfer. Contactless payments available. Delivery and shipping available (extra) Please wear a mask. Call or text (519) 401-7688